Hip-Hop Studies & Visual Culture Minor (HHVC) -VCDMA

Description: The VCDMA program under Department of Fine and Performing Arts offers a new minor in Hip-Hop Studies & Visual Culture (HHVC). This is an interdisciplinary minor that focuses on research, critical discourse, creative and studio projects on hip-hop and its elements as expressed through, but not limited to: DJ-ing, MC‐ing, Graffiti, B-Boy-ing (Dance) and Knowledge. The minor allows for opportunities for research on visual culture, technology, contemporary art, design, and media studies.

Furthermore, this minor incorporates studies in contemporary art/design history, aesthetics, criticism, and theory; performance art: music, theater, and dance. Students will also review the impact of hip-hop on popular culture, technology, and the humanities. This unique minor consists of a minimum of 24-27 credits depending on the course plan, as students will consult with the academic advisor.

The minor allows students an opportunity to investigate how hip-hop as a cultural, artistic, social, economic, and even political phenomenon relates to global society. Students will learn how the foundation of African and African American cultural, musical, and creative expression and traditions have also influenced and impacted hip-hop and other related genres.

Goals: The goals are to use visual culture as a vehicle to further investigate how hip-hop and related forms are expressed and communicated in the artistic, musical, and specifically visual traditions. Although this new area of focus will reside primarily in VCDMA, in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the need for collaboration with other disciplines and departments within the Bowie State University will be critical.

This program is open to all students regardless of backgrounds or majors and to also for those who seek to develop specific research and creative projects, presentations, exhibitions, performances and/or trans media projects focused or related to hip-hop studies and/or visual culture. Students will declare the minor in consultation with their program advisor. Students who chose to minor in Hip-Hop Studies and Visual Culture (VCDMA) must maintain a grade of a “C” or better in all minor and required courses. This new concentration in Hip‐Hop Studies may be useful, but not limited to the following: Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts (VCDMA), Art, Theater Arts, Music and Music Technology (Department of Fine and Performing Arts; Business, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Advertising, History and Government, Social Sciences, English and Modern Languages, Public Relations, Journalism (Communications) and others.

Student Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of coursework students will:

• Analyze the various artistic genres, movements of contemporary, urban, street art, design, music, and culture
• Investigate the foundations of hip-hop and those who have made significant contributions
• Discuss and critique through examples, the impact hip-hop has had on contemporary art, design, fashion, performance: (theatre/music/dance), film; popular media and culture
• Research the history, aesthetics and elements of hip-hop and current trends and nuances
• Conduct and produce evidence of research on popular Black art, music, and culture and how hip-hop has been influenced these forms and industry
• Produce projects, visual, written, and oral presentations, websites, multimedia, creative projects and performances related to hip-hop, contemporary, and underground
• Critique on-campus and off-campus, hip-hop related events, field trips and performances
• Contrast hip-hop vs. the industry by exploring the commercialization and often exploitative aspects, misrepresentation and misunderstanding of hip-hop
• Collaborate with hip-hop based artists, scholars, students, producers, ethnomusicologists and other hip-hop and community related organizations, institutions locally and globally for research and projects such as conferences, creative projects, journals, and paper presentations

STUDENTS SHOULD FIRST PASS:

• ENGL 101 & 102 (GEN ED)
• HIST 114 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY BEFORE 1865 (GEN ED - SOCIAL SCIENCE)
• ANTH 102 INTRO TO ANTHROPOLOGY (GEN ED - SOCIAL SCIENCE)